Read a full match report for the Premier League game between Everton and Wigan
Athletic at Goodison Park on Wednesday, December 26 2012.

David Moyes will bid farewell to 2012 with a heavy heart. Victory over Wigan Athletic consolidated what has been a year of metamorphosis at Goodison Park.

Everton were languishing mid-table and counting days and pennies until the opening of the transfer window on Boxing Day 2011. Far from a fortress, this stadium was in danger of becoming infamous for the angst-ridden venom aimed at the directors’ box from supporters yearning for a return to the halcyon days of the late Eighties.

Fast forward 12 months and Everton’s point haul of 68 so far in the calendar year is as good as they have accumulated since their last title win in 1987. They have only lost twice at home in 28 games.

If they go into the new year with another home win this weekend, Moyes’ side will go third in the table and will take some catching by the other top four pretenders.

It would take a calamitous decline to deny them a return to Europe and Moyes has cause to hope for much more as, even without his suspended player of the season Marouane Fellaini, his side have collected six points from their festive fixtures.

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This was a struggle. Moyes won’t care, recognising the season is defined by how you cope during the winter slog rather than the spring finish.

It still ought to have been more comfortable than it become in a fraught last eight minutes after Arouna Koné bundled in after some static Everton defending. In keeping with the entire afternoon, Everton were not convincing, but when you win below your best it is often more encouraging.

Leon Osman’s deflected shot on 52 minutes and Phil Jagielka’s header had banished memories of a scrappy, unimaginative first half. Wigan played as attractively as they usually do, but they tend to be inoffensive opponents, especially during the first half of a season.

Face them in the dying embers of the relegation fight and they are deadlier than a serpent’s tooth, but Roberto Martínez’s side perennially manoeuvre themselves into a position of doom before beginning their successful quest for salvation. Martínez feels his team deserves much more than they are getting.

Yet again he bemoaned a crucial decision on 58 minutes — when it was still 1-0 – as Shaun Maloney fell over Osman’s leg in the penalty box.

Both managers agreed a penalty could have been given but the replay was not conclusive. Maloney could just as easily have been booked for diving.

“You will see the contact clearly on the replays. Maloney is past, Osman doesn’t follow the player and sticks his leg out,” Martínez said. “I was bemused he didn’t give the decision. It is hard to understand.

The reaction of Osman tells you everything – he ran away thinking he got away with it. He wasn’t angry, he didn’t try to say he dived. Contact was very clear.”

Moyes generously concurred it could have been given. “I must admit, sitting in the dugout, I thought that could be a penalty,” he said.

Everton did enough after raising their intensity after half time. “Osman was the one who made us play for 20 minutes at the start of the second half,” said Moyes.

The England midfielder’s left-foot shot rebounded off Gary Caldwell’s arm and sent Ali Al-Habsi the wrong way. Jagielka powered in what proved the winner from Phil Neville’s cross.

Chelsea and former Liverpool nemesis Rafa Benítez arrive on Sunday. Moyes may be sorry to see the end of his 10th year at Goodison, but it will be some party if it ends with another three points.